DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Tutorial

Give that boring ceiling instant character with this DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Makeover!

I’m so excited to share this DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Tutorial with you today. Adding wainscoting, molding, crown, and v-groove board is one of my favorite, big impact ways to add value to my home. You can see how I used full 4×8 sheets of v-groove in my Modern Farmhouse Laundry Room reveal and above my DIY Mudroom Bench.

I like classic bead board too, but for this house, the v-groove design fits better with the existing molding and style. You can usually find this pine tongue in groove in a few different styles at Home Depot, Lowes, or your local lumber yard. Pick the style the works best for your home. This tutorial will work for almost any tongue and groove planks that are a bit more than 1/4″ thick and about 4″ wide.

Don’t forget to Pin Me!

I would install 3/4″ Tongue and Groove Pine or Cedar Planks a little differently. They are heavier and can be nailed differently. So, just use this DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Tutorial for this thinner version of tongue and groove planks. And, good new, these are easier to install and a lot more affordable. 🙂

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DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Tutorial – Steps

Design Note: You can run your boards along the shortest or longest walls. It’s up to you. Running along the longest wall will usually require less cuts. But, you will have seams whenever a new board starts. I ran mine along the short wall, since they were less than 8′ long. That meant that each row of plank was just 1 board. I knew I would have more scrap this way, but the install would be quicker (at just 1 board/row) and I like the clean look of no seams.

Build Note: This DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Tutorial works best with a smooth plywood or similar board base. If you have a warped, or rotting old ceiling, it should be removed first. If you have exposed joists, I recommend using the thicker 3/4″ tongue and groove. They will provide more insulation and are less likely to warp without a base. You can also use this tutorial for indoor ceilings, over drywall. Just be sure to nail into the studs under the drywall.

The before picture is pretty rough, guys. How did I live with those disgusting old fans for so long? And why do builder’s install that rough looking plywood in the first place? I’m totally embarrassed. 😉

Step 1

Start by removing any molding that might need to be removed. I didn’t need to do this for my ceiling. But, if you have molding that won’t look right after installing this plank AND the border lattice around the edges, go ahead and remove it. You want to keep the original plywood up, if you have it. See Build Note above about the plywood base.

Step 2

Also, remove anything like light fixtures or outlet covers that are on the ceiling. Be sure to shut off the power supply first and follow all standard electrical safety precautions.

Step 3

Now, clean off any dirt, dust, bugs, or debris that could get in the way or mess up your paint. I used a little Dawn dish soap in warm water with a scrub brush and old rag to remove stubborn wasp nests. Put a dropcloth down to protect the ground from paint.

Step 4

Over your dropcloth, prepare your boards by priming each side and the ends with a good primer, like the Zinsser 123 Latex I used. Since I was running my rows along the short wall, I measured and cut my boards before priming. Priming each side is important. This will block water and humidity. If one side or the ends of the board aren’t treated, the board might swell and warp. DIY Tip: Prime the ceiling (rough) side first. That’ll prevent the side that will show from accidentally being messed up when you flip the boards when painting.

I laid out 10 planks at a time on my sawhorses to prime. Be sure to paint the bottom, or rough side of the board first.

Step 5

Once the boards are fully primed and dry, you can start putting them up. You’ll probably need a partner. My husband and I each had a ladder at each end of the board. The groove of the first board should be along the edge of the ceiling. The tongue will face out, towards the next row. Also, leave a 1/2″ gap around the edge of the ceiling to allow for any expansion that might happen in extreme weather. This gap will be covered by the lattice trim board later.

Step 6

Use a brad nailer to attach the plank to the plywood. I nailed every 12″ to 18″ along the plank. Since these boards are so light, nailing into the plywood will be more than enough to hold these up. Make sure each end has a nail about 1″ in from the end. This will help keep the end from warping.

The first primed boards are up. Be sure to pine both sides, the ends, and inside the grooves to seal out any moisture. You can also see the 1/2″ gap between the boards and the edge of the ceiling here.

Step 7

Each rows groove should fit snuggly with the tongue of the last board. Make sure you hold the boards tightly together while nailing. Use a jigsaw to cut out for any light fixture or outlets.

Step 8

Once the ceiling is completely planked, frame the ceiling with the 1 1/2″ lattice boards. I used pre-primed boards, just to make life easier. 🙂 I nailed these into the planks, every 3 planks should do the trick.

You can see the ceiling is framed in the lattice boards, all along the walls.

Step 9

Then, fill all nail holes and knots in the wood with a wood filler, like my favorite. Then run a bead of caulk along each groove to get a more finished and beautiful look. Make sure you wipe away all excess caulk with a damp rag before it dries. The wood filler can be sanded smooth, but caulk can’t.

The primed planks are up. You can see thin lines between each plank. Once I caulk that line, the whole ceiling will have a more finished and professional look.

Step 10

Once you’ve finished caulking and filling the planks. You can paint with 1 or 2 coats of your favorite paint. I used Sherwin Williams’ Snowfall.

Step 11

Install the light fixtures again and you are finished. Time to grab your favorite drink and admire that gorgeous new ceiling, guys!

Feeling inspired? Get out there and follow this DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Tutorial. Have fun and let me know if you have questions. Don’t forget to sign up for the Abbotts At Home email newsletter to get DIY, Remodeling, and Crafty ideas in your inbox.

2 thoughts on “DIY Pine Tongue and Groove Ceiling Tutorial”

Hi! Your ceilings look amazing! We recently purchased some pine tongue and groove to do the same on our porch and everyone (contractor, painter, framer…) keeps telling us we’ll never be able to cover all the knots. We planned on priming with Zinsser and then white paint but everyone keeps saying the knots will bleed through the paint no matter how good the paint is or how many coats. Have you experienced this at all?? How are yours holding up so far? Are you getting any bleed through? It’s such a good look I’m hoping we can make it work. Thanks in advance.

Hello Beth, Thanks so much. It’s been about 9 months and no bleed through so far. There weren’t many knots in the wood I used. It was mainly little holes where the knots popped out. Then I just filled them with wood filler for a prettier look. But, you can always prep knots with a shellac based primer, like Bin. For extra security. Then just follow the rest of the steps that I did. Good luck with your project. Feel free to ask anything else. 🙂

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Hello friends!

Stephanie shares DIY Projects, woodworking plans, room makeovers, remodeling, and craft projects. Her posts focus on remodeling, decorating, or furnishing a home in a stylish and affordable way. Learn more about her here.
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